A new life, a new destiny
by digigirl132
Summary: what was Eriol's life like before he knew he was half the reincarnation of Clow Reed? you'll have to read to find out. *FINISHED* please tell me what u think. some E+T fluff at the end.
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: hiya! I'm back, and with a new story too! For all the fans of my other stories, don't worry/ I'll update soon. When I get a really good idea for one of them, I'll write it and post it. Too bad that I only have two days of vacation left. 

Author's note 2: this story (after the opening paragraphs) starts the October before Eriol turns 10 (his b-day is March 28th) and he doesn't know he's half the reincarnation of Clow Reed yet.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, so don't sue me.

Author's note 3: lotta notes, huh? 

"" denotes speech

__

"Italicizes" denotes Eriol's thoughts

Italicizes at the beginning of a break denotes location and season

This is written in 3rd person limited (meaning you'll only be able to read Eriol's thoughts)

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Tomoyo's house in mid summer, summer after the Clow cards were all transformed………

Eriol sat calmly in the grass At Tomoyo's house. Since everybody was out of school. And it had been a while since everybody had been together, so Tomoyo and Sakura had arranged for everybody to come back for three weeks. _" it's nice to be back among friends," _Eriol thought, _"back home, my only real friends besides my family are Nakuru and Spinnel."_

For a while, everybody had been playing in Tomoyo's pool. Now it was starting to get dark, and everybody was sitting around a bonfire telling stories. "…And that's basically what I was doing before the cards got released," Syaoran said, finishing his story. "Wow," Sakura said, "That's so cool."

Syaoran blushed, a usual reaction whenever Sakura talked to him. _" I have a feeling I know what's going to be asked next," _Eriol thought to himself. Tomoyo turned to Eriol and said, "So, what were you doing before the Clow cards got released?"

__

" I knew it," Eriol thought as he said, "That's a really long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Tomoyo nodded, as well as almost everybody else. Sakura said, "Come on, tell us."

Eriol sighed and said, "Alright, I'll tell you. It all really started, for me at least, about seven months before the cards were even released……"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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Seven months before the cards were released, roughly September………

Eriol looked out across the lake. He sighed. _"Another day," _he thought, _"Another day of being teased and beat up and tormented. I really need a vacation or something……"_

Eriol began walking along the lake, towards his home. A minute later, he saw a group of boys much larger than him standing in a group around a little kid. _"Those meat- heads," _he thought, _"it's early afternoon, and they already have a victim. Oh well, maybe they will forget about me today. It would be nice to show up at home not looking like I had just been through a battlefield."_

Eriol slowed down a little and hid his face behind one of the textbooks he was carrying. He kept repeating in his mind, _"please let me get by today without getting beat up, please let me get by today without getting beat up……"_

Just as he was almost home free, Eriol heard a voice say, "Hey, midget! Did you think we forgot about you?"

Eriol cringed, but didn't turn to face the bullies. The same voice said, "How could we forget about our favorite victim?"

The group of boys laughed. Eriol kept walking, pretending that he didn't hear them. _"Maybe," _he thought, _"If I pretend I can't hear them, I'll be able to make it home without getting hurt. I'll have to make a run for it, though."_

The group walked towards Eriol, catching up with him quickly. The biggest boy, who was about twice Eriol's size, stood in front of him and said, "Don't pretend you can't hear us, midget. You know that we always beat you up everyday after school, and today's not going to be any different. Then again, I'm in a pretty good mood today. If you stay on my good side, I might let you off without even landing a punch on you. "

__

"Stay on Derek's good side," Eriol said to himself, _"Don't blow it. Don't say anything stupid."_

All of the boys laughed. Derek said, "We can't let you off without doing something, so what should we make you do…….. Hm………I know, say, 'I'm a big geek and I'll never amount to anything.'"

Eriol repeated, "I'm a big geek and I'll never amount to anything."

Derek said, "Now say, 'I will never have any friends, and I'll always be a lonely loser.'"

Eriol repeated, "I will never have any friends, and I'll always be a lonely loser."

All of the boys laughed again. The Derek said, "Hmmmm, still not good enough. Get down on your knees and beg for us to let you go, and I'll let you go."

Eriol's temper was starting to get the better of him. _"Keep it under control," _ Eriol said to himself again, _"You're almost home free. Just do what he said."_

But Eriol couldn't get himself to beg. He slowly shook his head and said, "No, I won't beg."

Derek frowned. He said, "Too bad, looks like I'll get to beat you up anyways."

As Derek picked Eriol up by the collar of his shirt, Eriol, who's temper had slipped a little more, said, "Someday, I'll be stronger than you, and you'll be sorry that you ever messed with me!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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A couple hours later………

Eriol sat at the base of his tree in his yard, his face buried in his knees. He was crying. The bullies hadn't beaten him up that badly that day, but that wasn't why he was crying. He was crying because he was mad at himself. "They are right," Eriol said, "I am a weak loser!"

It started to rain, but Eriol didn't notice. "I'll always be alone and weak," he said, "Nobody would want to be friends with me!"

It was really pouring down, and it was starting to get dark. Lights in houses were going on, and everybody was racing to get out of the rain. Eriol didn't move, though. He said, "I just wish……….. I wish I wasn't alone…………."

Suddenly, a bright light started to glow. Eriol looked up and noticed that a bright circle had appeared underneath him. He stood up and looked down at it. The wind picked up, and it threatened to blow Eriol over. He tried to block the wind with his arm, but it didn't help much. He closed his eyes and waited for it to be over. Soon, the wind and the glowing stopped. Eriol slowly opened his eyes, and he could see two figures running away in the shadows. One looked human, sort of. The other one looked almost like a panther, but it also looked like it had wings. "H….hello," Eriol called out, "Who's there?"

Nobody answered. Eriol waited for a while, but he didn't see anything else. _"How strange," _Eriol thought. He looked at his watch and said, "Whoa, it's late! I better get inside, before Mom worries too much about me!"

Eriol ran inside, not noticing the two figures watching him from the shadows.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, after school, Eriol decided to take a different way home. He wanted to go home a different way than the bullies, so that he wouldn't get beat up that day. He carefully made his way along the streets, looking out for the bullies. _"I've been taking the same way home for years now," _Eriol thought, _ Derek and his friends wouldn't expect me to take a different way. They think I'm too stupid to do that, when in reality I'm well beyond my nine years."_

Eriol walked along for a while, not encountering anybody. He gradually began to relax, and as he walked by a different park, he didn't take notice to the group of kids up ahead. As he walked by, one of the boys stuck out his leg and Eriol tripped. All of the kids laughed, and after he got up, Eriol noticed that some of them were friends of Derek. One of the kids was Derek himself, too. _"Darnit," _Eriol thought, _"Somehow he knew! He must have figured it out when I didn't walk by the other park at my normal time!"_

"So," Derek said snidely, "Thought you could outsmart us, did you? Well, too bad, because now we're going to make sure you don't try something like that again!"

Derek picked Eriol up by his shirt. Eriol struggled while he said, "Stop it! Leave me alone!"

Suddenly, the circle that had appeared below Eriol the night before appeared again. The wind picked up, too. Derek, who was surprised, said, "If you think that your little light trick will save you this time, you are dead wrong!"

The light and wind died down and Derek lifted up his other hand and curled it into a fist. Eriol closed his eyes and braced himself for the punch. The punch never came, though. Eriol, who was wondering what was going on, opened his eyes a little and stole a glace at his attacker. His face was white, and he looked scared stiff. Derek dropped Eriol, turned, and ran. All of the other kids did so as well. Confused, Eriol stood up and turned around. He then saw what had scared the kids so badly. A panther was standing right in front of him. This panther was weird, though. It had big butterfly wings on it's back. Scared, Eriol backed up slowly. He backed into a tree, and slid to his knees. He closed his eyes and said softly, "Please don't eat me, please don't eat me…….."

The panther walked up to Eriol and used his nose to lift up Eriol's chin. He said, "Don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you." 

Eriol opened his eyes. The panther said, "It looks like you have it pretty rough, Eriol."

Eriol stammered, "How do you know my name? And how can you talk?"

The panther said, "I know you, because you created me. And I can talk for the same reason."

"I…created you," Eriol said, "But how?"

The panther answered, "You are a sorcerer, Eriol. You can do almost anything you want, if you know how."

"A….sorcerer," Eriol said in a questioningly way. The panther nodded and said, "For now, that's all you need to know. I better go back to my borrowed form, or else I might draw unwanted attention."

The panther closed his eyes, and the same circle that had appeared below Eriol appeared below him. The wind picked up, and the panther began to shrink. When the wind stopped and the circle disappeared, he was small enough to hide easily. He looked almost like a mouse, but he was completely black with translucent wings. He flew to Eriol and said, "Now I can travel around without making a scene."

Eriol said, "I would like to thank you for saving me, but I don't know your name."

The small animal smiled and said, "in my other form, I am known as Spinnel Sun. in this form, my name is Spinnel. I am your sun guardian."

Eriol said, "My sun what?"

"Your sun guardian," Spinnel said, "That just means that I am your guardian, and I get my power from the sun. you have another guardian, your moon guardian, but he or she isn't here right now."

Eriol was fascinated by everything that Spinnel had to tell him, but he knew that he couldn't stay there for much longer. The bullies would be back soon, craving revenge. Especially Derek. He stood up and said, "We batter go someplace safer. Those bullies will be back soon, and in greater numbers."

Spinnel nodded, and flew into Eriol's back pack. From inside, he said, "alright, let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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That night………

Eriol was sitting in a high backed red chair. _"I could have sworn I was just asleep," _he thought, _"What's going on?_" 

Eriol tried to stand up, but for some reason he couldn't move. He tried to look down at his feet, but yet again he found that he was frozen in his spot. Eriol was able to look at the window beside the chair by glancing out of the corner of his eye. What he saw scared him. The person sitting in the chair wasn't himself, it was an older man. _"Okay, this is too weird," _Eriol thought. Right then, two creatures appeared in front of him. _"And it just got even weirder," _he thought. One of the creatures looked like a lion with wings, while the other one looked kind of like an angel. The man said, "I have to tell you both something."

The angel-like creature said, "What is wrong, master?"

The man smiled and said, "Nothing is wrong, Yue. I just have something important to tell you both."

"What would that be," the lion-like creature said. The man said, "My time is drawing to an end. Soon, I shall die."

Both of the creatures were shocked. "No," Yue said, "it can't be true!"

"You are the most powerful sorcerer there ever was," the lion- like creature said, "you created us! You created the Clow cards!"

"Nevertheless," the man said, "the end comes for us all. We must now prepare you two for a new master."

"I will answer to nobody but you," Yue said defiantly, "Nobody will ever be as powerful as you."

"Then you shall be the judge," the man said. He then turned to the lion-like creature and said, "I couldn't leave you out, could I Keroberos. You shall be the one to choose the candidate for Yue to judge. Soon, I shall seal the cards in a book. You two shall guard the book until the proper candidate comes along. Make sure the book doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

Eriol woke up in a cold sweat. He muttered, "Was that a dream or….a memory?"

From the bed that Eriol had made for him, Spinnel sleepily said, "Was what a memory?"

Eriol quickly shook his head and said, "Nothing. Go back to sleep, Spinnel."

Spinnel muttered something Eriol couldn't hear and was soon asleep again. _"What is going on," _Eriol thought_._

Eriol rolled over and tried to get to sleep. Sleep didn't come easily, though. But after a while, Eriol was finally overcome by exhaustion, and he fell fast asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eriol woke up a few minutes early the next morning. Instead of getting up, though, he layed in bed for a while, sleepily thinking about the events from the day before. _"It had to be a dream," _ Eriol thought, _"Or else by now I would have been awaken by Spin……"_

"Rise and shine," Spinnel said as he flew to the window and opened the curtains. Eriol sat up quickly and said, "It wasn't a dream, you are real………"

"Of course it wasn't," Spinnel answered, "I am very real. But you did have a dream last night. You woke up in a cold sweat, remember?"

Eriol nodded, remembering the events from the night before. Eriol said, "What does it mean when you have a dream that seems like a memory, but it's a memory of something you have never done, and you could not have possibly done what was done in the memory?"

Spinnel said, "It could mean a lot of things. Tell me the memory you are referring to."

Eriol told him about the weird memory he had. "And I know it wasn't a dream," Eriol said, "It was something different. It feels like a memory, but I couldn't have been that old, and I have never seen those two creatures, Keroberos and Yue."

"From what you have told me," Spinnel said, "I think those two, Keroberos and Yue, are guardians. And this man they were with was probably a very powerful sorcerer. No doubt he's dead by now, though."

"But it felt like I was him," Eriol said, "How could that be?"

Spinnel thought for a moment, then said, "I am not sure, but it has to mean something. Everything happens for a reason. Whatever this "memory" was trying to tell you, it must be important. Tell me of anything else that happens that is out of the ordinary."

"Alright," Eriol said, "I will."

Eriol glanced at his clock and said, "It's getting late. I better go downstairs for breakfast. After my family leaves for work and school, you can go downstairs and get some food and stuff. See you after school!"

Eriol ran out of the room and downstairs. As he sat down fro breakfast, he thought, _"One thing's for sure. life will never be the same for me!"_

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So, what do you think? Please reply and tell me if it is good or bad. Constructive criticism is good, but flames are evil. Evil, I tell you, evil!

Arramon: -_-' she's gone on an evil accusing binge again……. This is what happens when you give a writer who has had very little sleep some sugar.

DG: it's not the sugar's fault that flames are evil! It's the flame's fault! 

Arramon: down, girl.

DG: *calms down a little* anyways, I'll post the next part as soon as I can, but I would like some reviews, so I know where my weak points are. And please tell me if I spelt a name wrong.

Arramon: I'll keep her sanity intact the best I can.

DG: well, time for me to go, so see yah!


	2. chapter 2

Me: alright! Seems like you all like this ficcie, so I decided to write chapter 2!

Arramon: actually, she was bored, and she couldn't think of anything to write for her other ccs ficcie, which she _should_ update.

Me: *to Arramon* can it! *to readers* I'll be updating a lot, since I go back to school tomorrow, and I always get my best ideas at school.

Arramon: don't you have some big paper to do?

Me: I don't have to start until next week. So, on with chapter 2!

Arramon: *shakes head* of all the humans on earth, I had to get stuck with this one……..

Me: oh, and one final note: I have no clue if Eriol actually has any family, but I'm saying he does for the time being. It's a ficcie, anyways.

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Several weeks later, in mid-October………

Eriol, who usually ran home quickly after school nowadays, was walking home slowly. Since the incident with Spinnel, Derek and his gang of friends have been leaving him alone. Eriol was glad, too. Though he was a sorcerer, Eriol didn't know any magic yet. Spinnel had taught him a little bit of karate, though. _"Maybe," _ Eriol thought, _"they are really just biding their time, and they are going to come after me eventually."_

Eriol stuck one of his hands in his pocket, and he felt a piece of paper. He pulled it out, and it said, 

Eriol-

Don't forget that you promised to pick up your sister Suzy from kindergarten today.

-Mom

"Geez," Eriol said, "I forgot about that! Good thing Mom put a note in my coat pocket."

Eriol cut across the park, heading in the direction of the small school on the other side. For some reason, Pre school and Kindergarten classes were held in a separate building from the elementary school. Glancing at his watch, Eriol said, "Suzy gets out at 3:30, and it's 3:35 right now. Good thing I found that note, or else she would have been standing outside for quite a long time." 

Eriol ran up the steps of the school and looked around for Suzy. He spotted her easily, and waved to her. She waved back and ran to him. "Eriol," she said, "I forgot you were picking me up today!"

"Well, I am here, aren't I," Eriol answered, "So let's go home."

Suzy nodded, and they both started walking home. When they were about a block away from home, Eriol heard a familiar voice say, "Miss me, midget?"

Eriol felt a ripple of fear run through his body. He quickly covered up his fear, though. The last thing he needed was for Suzy to see that he was scared. He turned around and said, "What do you want, Derek?"

Derek grinned his evil grin and said, "It has been quite a while since we've had a chat, so I think it's time for us to have a chat. And look, the midget has a little midgette in tow also."

The other boys with Derek laughed. Eriol said to Suzy, "Go home and stay there. Don't come out until I get home."

Suzy nodded and ran home, her bluish pigtails bouncing behind her. Eriol said, "What do you want?"

Derek said, "I think it's time to reinstate an old tradition, don't you? Since the little panther incident, we haven't been practicing it."

Eriol took the stance that Spinnel had taught him and said, "Don't mess with me, Derek. I'm not a weak loser anymore."

Derek laughed and said, "So you think you can fight? Well, let's test your skills then."

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Suzy ran in the door and closed it behind her. The noise startled Spinnel, who had been reading in the living room. He heard her call out, "Hello? Is anybody home?"

"Great," Spinnel muttered, "Looks like I'll have to play the part of a stuffed animal until Eriol gets home."

Spinnel layed down on the couch, looking like a stuffed animal, just as Suzy walked into the room. She eyed Spinnel and said, "Ooooooo, a new toy!"

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In a really short time, Eriol was knocked to the ground, face in the dirt. He coughed and rose shakily onto his hands and knees. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, and he hurt in several spots where Derek had punched him. Derek laughed and said, "Looks like you don't know squat, Midget."

__

"Damn," Eriol thought, _"What now?"_

Derek walked up to Eriol and kicked him hard in the stomach. Eriol fell back into the ground. Eriol struggled to breath, and he hurt so much he didn't want to get up. "I think that will be good enough for today," Derek said, "Let's go, boys."

They all left, leaving Eriol lying in the dirt. After a few minutes, Eriol heard somebody walk up and say, "Oh my gosh! What happened to you?!"

He could feel somebody helping him up, but Eriol didn't want to open his eyes. The voice sounded like it was a girl's voice, and she sounded like she was about 17. The girl said, "Hold on, I think this might help."

Eriol felt something warm, almost like an aura, engulf him, and he suddenly felt a little better. He opened his eyes, and saw a girl with long hair that was brown, but had a reddish tint. She wore the high school uniform, too. Eriol said, "Thanks…….."

The girl smiled and said, "No problem. Just be more careful, ok?"

Eriol nodded and started walking home. He felt his forehead, and noticed that it was completely healed. All of the bruises he had were gone, too. Eriol was about to ask the girl about it, but when he looked up he saw that she was gone. _"Strange," _Eriol thought as he opened the door to his house. Eriol went inside, and heard Suzy in the living room. "Suzy," Eriol called out, "I'm home!"

Suzy ran out with one of her dolls in her hands and said, "Eriol, look! Isn't Mrs. Kitty so cute now?"

Eriol looked at Suzy's doll and tried his best not to laugh. It was Spinnel, with a look that said I'm-going-to-hurt-somebody-if-I-don't-get-out-of-this-situation, wearing one of Suzy's doll's dresses and a bonnet. Suzy said, "Now she's ready for the ball!"

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"I swear," Spinnel said after Eriol had rescued him and took him to his room, "that had to be the worst thing that has ever happened to me!"

"You are only six weeks old," Eriol pointed out as he started his homework. He had a hard time concentrating, though, because his mind was wandering. Who was the mysterious girl, and how has she been able to heal him? He was also thinking about the "memories," which had become more numerous in the last few weeks. The thing that had remained constant about them was the Eriol was always in the body of that man. Eriol sighed and said, "I think I'll go to the library. I have to do some research for a paper, anyways."

Spinnel nodded and said, " I'm staying in here, so that I don't get tortured by Suzy."

Eriol smiled and said, "Alright."

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__

At the library…………

Eriol was wandering through the shelves of books, looking for something to help him with his paper. _"I like the library," _Eriol thought, _"it's quiet and peaceful here. Hey, I could practice my magic."_

Eriol looked ahead of him in the aisle he was in, and focused his mind. _"Book of knowledge," _he thought, _"reveal yourself so that I may gain knowledge from you……"_

Eriol looked around, and saw that nothing had happened. _"Dang," _he thought, _"I thought if I said it cool, it would work. Maybe I have to say it differently, and say it out loud……"_

Eriol closed his eyes in an effort to focus, and muttered, "Spirits, guide me to the book I need……"

Nothing happened again. Eriol thought for a moment, then some words popped into his head. He said the words, which were, " forces of day and night, guide me to what I seek. I seek a book that will help me understand…………."

Suddenly, the circle appeared below him. It glowed for a second, then stopped. "I'm getting closer," Eriol said, "I wonder what I did wrong."

Eriol didn't notice the book that was floating over his head. It suddenly fell, and hit him in the head hard. Eriol said, "Ow," and then grabbed the book. It was a very old book, with the cover worn and the pages made of paper that had to be a few centuries old. He looked at it and read the title, "Sorcerers of the 11th century."

Suddenly, the book opened to a page 3/4ths of the way through the book. Eriol looked at it, and read from it( I am guessing on this information, so please don't get mad!), "Clow Reed. Born March 23rd, 1034. Died December 12th, 1078. Age 44 years old. During the 11th century, many powerful sorcerers lived their lives, but none could ever compare to Clow Reed. He was born of an English father and a Chinese mother. He created the Clow cards, and united eastern and western magic. He is considered by many to be the most powerful sorcerer ever."

Eriol closed the book and said to himself, " things just keep getting more and more interesting."

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Many months later, in early spring………

Eriol was walking home from the library. He had checked out a couple of books to read that weekend. One of the books that he had checked out was the mysterious book he had found months ago. He walked up the steps of his house while muttering, "Maybe something exciting will happen tonight. It is my birthday, after all."

As he went inside, he heard Suzy say, "Eriol, do you know where Mrs. Kitty is?"

Eriol shook his head and said, "No clue. Try looking in the attic."

Suzy ran up the stairs and into the attic while Eriol went into his room. As he closed the door, Spinnel came out of hiding and flew to Eriol. He said, "It is getting harder and harder to hide from Suzy, you know."

Eriol set his books down on his dresser as he said, "Don't worry. She won't come into my room unless I say she can. Just stay in my room."

Eriol heard a shout from outside his door. It was his older brother saying, "Eriol, don't hide in there forever. The party starts in an hour."

Eriol smiled and yelled back, "Don't worry, brother. I wouldn't miss my own birthday."

"I still don't understand the concept behind this whole birthday thing," Spinnel said, "It's really just a pointless celebration."

"it's not pointless," Eriol answered, "it's nice to celebrate one's birthday. How often do you have a party in the first place?"

"Party or not," Spinnel said, "You are ten now. You have to stop being so childish."

Eriol frowned and said, "I do not act childish."

Spinnel said, "Oh? What about whenever that Derek boy messes with you?"

Eriol's expression turned very cold and he said, "That is not acting childish. That is protecting myself."

"And you also must get serious about magic," Spinnel said, "You take the fact that you are destined to be a great sorcerer someday very lightly. You do learn magic, but you are learning it very slowly. Someday soon your great challenge will arrive. If you are not prepared, you will fail and get seriously hurt. You need to pay attention to your magic, and learn as much as you can."

"I'll keep that in mind," Eriol said, "And I'll try not to behave childishly anymore."

Eriol's brother yelled from downstairs, "Come on, Squirt. The party's starting."

"I'm coming," Eriol yelled down. He then said to Spinnel, "I'll bring you some cake and ice cream after the party."

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A couple hours later, after the party…………

Eriol was getting ready for bed. He had managed to bring some cake up for Spinnel, but he only brought a little bit. Spinnel got way out of control when he had too much sugar. He didn't like it too much, anyways. As he buttoned up his pajama top, Eriol said, "So, aren't you going to chew me out or something."

Spinnel said, "I don't chew you out. I offer words of wisdom. And I do have some."

"Same difference," Eriol muttered. Spinnel said, "Now that you are ten, you have much responsibility. You should now be able to think and act like and adult."

"I thought that I wasn't an adult until I was 18," Eriol sarcastically said, "And besides, I don't turn ten for 30 more seconds."

"Close enough," Spinnel said, "And work hard on the acting like an adult thing."

"I will," Eriol said as he counted down the seconds until the exact time of his birth, "5...4...3...2...1...0."

As soon as he said zero, the magical circle appeared below him. The wind picked up, and something began to glow in front of him. _"What's going on," _Eriol thought, _"I didn't try to do any magic."_

Eriol reached out and grabbed the thing that was glowing in front of him. The light abruptly stopped, as well as the wind. Eriol opened his hand, and saw what looked like a small key with a spherical end attached to a chain. "What is this," Eriol asked.

"I have no clue," Spinnel said, "But you better hang onto it. I can sense powerful magic coming from it. It must be important."

Eriol nodded and slipped the chain over his neck. As he did, several more "Memories" appeared in his mind. The amount of memories and the energy it took to receive them completely drained Eriol of all his energy. He passed out, Spinnel catching him before he fell face first on the floor. Spinnel layed Eriol on his bed and sat down on the headboard of Eriol's bed. He then said, "This may be bigger than I originally thought."

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DG: that's the end of chapter 2! What did you all think?

Arramon: please respond, or else My friend here might be too discouraged to write more.


	3. chapter 3

Author: sorry! I know it's been a while.

Arramon: she has been working on something else….. An original anime…

Author: you weren't supposed to say anything until I was done! You ruined the surprise!

Arramon: Sorry. Well, on with chapter 3!

Author: that's my line!

Joe-kun: calm down, Mimi-chan.

Author: Alright! Joe-kun is here!

Joe-kun: not for long. I don't have a snow day like you do.

Author: DARNIT!

Joe-kun: well, see you two after school. *leaves*

Author: well, I guess it's on with chapter 3... *grumbles about Joe-kun withdrawal*

-------------------------------------------

__

Mid June, right after school got out………

Eriol was packing his bag quickly. His whole family was getting ready to go on vacation. This summer, they were going to France. The French countryside, to be more specific. Spinnel said, "I don't see what the big excitement is. We are just going camping."

"We always go camping," Eriol said, "it's like a ritual. I can't wait!"

"you are supposed to be acting more adult," Spinnel said, "how can you be a sorcerer if you act so childish?"

"I'm working on it," Eriol said defensively. Just then, Suzy ran in and said, "Can I pway with Mrs. Kitty?"

Eriol shook his head and said, "you are supposed to be packing. Go pack your bags."

Suzy ran out of the room and down the hall. Then, his brother poked his head in the door and said, "hurry up, we're leaving soon."

Eriol said, "I'm coming, Robert (remember, Eriol IS from England. It would be fitting for his family to have English names), clam down."

Eriol stuffed Spinnel into his bag and took it downstairs. He set the bag down on the couch and said, "Ok, I'm ready to go!"

Robert said, "Ok, go get in the van."

Eriol looked around for his Mom and Dad, but couldn't see them. He said, "Where's Mom and Dad?"

Robert said, "They will be coming in a few days. Until then, I'm in charge."

Eriol said, "But you are only 19. Are you sure you can take care of Suzy and I?"

Robert glared at Eriol and said, "I am sure. Now, let's get going."

---------------------------------------

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Many hours later………

Eriol got out of the car and walked around on the barge. It was going to be six hours before the barge reached the coast of France, so Eriol decided to walk around. He went to the front of the boat and stared out at the waters ahead. For the last couple months, he had been sensing weird things. One moment, things were going normal. Then the next, he felt something that seemed very familiar. The first time it had happened was in April. It had really scared him, and he had made a big scene at the time. It probably didn't help that he had been in gym class at the time. The teachers had sent him home, and his Mom had taken him to the doctor. It had happened eight more times since then, but he had been able to stay under control after the first time. And even more and more "memories" had been coming to him, too. Spinnel flew up to him and said, "What's wrong, Eriol?"

"Nothing really," Eriol responded, "I've just been thinking about those weird 'memories'."

"What have you figured out so far," Spinnel asked. Eriol answered, "Well, this man, Clow Reed, apparently was a sorcerer. He made some powerful cards, then sealed them away. He also had two guardians: Keroberos and Yue. How I am connected to him I still haven't figured out."

Spinnel thought for a moment, then said, "Are you a descendent of his?"

Eriol shook his head and said, "I don't think so. If that were true, then Robert and Suzy would have magical powers as well."

Eriol pulled the key out and studied it for a while. "I hope I figure it out soon," Eriol said. Spinnel landed on his shoulder and said, "I am sure you will. You are not stupid, you know."

Suddenly, a voice said, "Hiya!"

Eriol looked up, and saw a girl who was about 18. She looked very familiar indeed. She said, "Awwwwww, what a cute cat."

Eriol quickly put the key away. _"who is this girl," _he thought, _"she looks so familiar."_

Then it hit him. He said, "you're the girl who helped me that one day, aren't you?"

The girl nodded. "Call me Nakuru. Nice to meet you, Clow."

Eriol said, "Clow? My name isn't Clow, it's Eriol."

Nakuru grinned mysteriously and said, "Are you sure about that?"

Eriol stared at her for a moment, then said, "What do you mean?"

"You're smart," Nakuru said, "Figure it out."

Nakuru then ran off to another part of the barge, laving Eriol standing there in wonder. _"What did she mean," _he thought, _"of course I'm not Clow Reed. He's been dead for almost a thousand years."_

Spinnel said, "Eriol? What's wrong?"

Eriol didn't answer him, though. He was deep in thought. _"maybe it has to do with those weird memories I have been having," _Eriol thought, _"but why did she call me Clow?"_

"Eriol," Spinnel said, "Answer me."

"Huh," Eriol said, realizing that Spinnel was talking, "Oh, sorry. I guess I was deep in thought."

"If you weren't so deep in thought," Spinnel said, "you would have realized that your brother wants you."

"oh," Eriol said. Spinnel said, "Always be conscious of your surroundings. That's an important thing to remember."

Eriol said, "Alright, I'll work on that as well," then went off to see what his brother wanted.

----------------------------------

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Two days later………

Eriol watched Suzy run up the path to the old summer home, while he and Robert were getting their things from the van. Eriol said, "it's great to be here again. This place is really relaxing." 

Eriol took his bag up to his room, then went outside to look around. Not much had changed at the house since he had left. Eriol yelled to his brother, "I'm going to go check out the lake!"

"Alright," Robert called back, "Just be back in time for dinner!"

Eriol headed off to the lake, Spinnel not far behind. As they approached the lake, Eriol saw someone standing out on the dock. When he got closer, he could see that it was Nakuru. Eriol ran down to where she was, then said, "Nakuru!"

Nakuru looked at him and smiled. Eriol said, " What did you mean when you were talking about Clow Reed?"

Nakuru said, "you are smart. You figure it out."

She then turned to Spinnel and said, "Long time, no see. I hope you have been well, Spinnel Sun."

Spinnel looked at her for a moment, dumbstruck by the fact that she knew what he was, before Nakuru said, "Well, I have to go now. When you figure out what you need to, we will meet again."

Nakuru ran off, leaving Eriol and Spinnel standing in wonder yet again.

----------------------------

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Two weeks later……………

" Vous Avez quelques pain, lait, et sachets à thé? (translation: you have some bread, milk, and tea bags?)"

"Oui (yes)."

"Votre total est 5,75 euros. (your total is 5.75 euros [I estimated on the cost])"

Eriol paid the clerk at the store and left with a, "Merci (thank you)."

As he left the store, he heard some boys about his age chatting nearby. (note: because French is not my first language, and I don't want to try to translate this early in the morning, I'll just write the next part in English.) Eriol walked over to them and said, "What's going on?"

One of the boys said, "Hi Eriol! Christoph is just babbling on again about being the reincarnation of Napoleon."

Another one of the boys said, " there's no way you could be that. First off, reincarnation isn't real. And even if it were, you wouldn't be the reincarnation of Napoleon."

"But I am," Christoph said, " too many strange things have happened to me for me not to be."

__

"strange things, huh," Eriol thought, " Strange things have happened to me. I have had those weird "memories" about Clow Reed for some time now, but that doesn't mean I'm his reincarnation………………………………............. does it?"

Eriol said, "Christoph, how do you know that you are the reincarnation of Napoleon?"

"Well," Christoph said, "For a while I have had these strange visions. They are kind of like memories, only I couldn't have had them. In them, I was always Napoleon, and I saw some of the things he did. I've heard that if you have strange things like that happen, and/or if you act and look like a person of the past, you might be their reincarnation."

Eriol suddenly went bug-eyed as it clicked in his mind, then ran all the way home. One of the boys said, "Great job, Christoph. You scared him away."

Back at home, Eriol put the stuff he had gotten at the store on the counter, then ran quickly up to his room. Spinnel said, "What's wrong, Eriol?"

Eriol said, "I think I just figured it all out!"

--------------------------

Author: evil of me to leave you hanging like that, huh? Well, you will find out when I write the next chapter!

Arramon: which will probably be soon, since she has a snow day today and Joe doesn't.

Author: don't remind me!

Arramon: for now, we shall part ways. Talk to you all soon.

Author: oh well, I still have this *hold up magic remote*

Arramon: *steals it*

Author: HEY! *chases after her to get it back* THAT'S MINE!

Arramon: Bye now!

Author: *stops long enough to say bye, then continues chasing Arramon*


	4. chapter 4

Author's note: since you all seem so eager for me to finish this fan fiction first, I decided to write another chapter. There's only going to be 5 or 6 chapters, maybe 7 if the chapters run long. Anyways, I'm glad my bit of writing has brought some joy to the world.

Arramon: And I'm glad, because she isn't going on a rampage like she did that one time she got a flame for another story. The interesting part is that she wrote her guide to flames shortly afterward.

Author: speaking of which, I need some advice. I want to write another guide to something (I've already written ones about flames and Mary Sues, in case u didn't know) but I don't have a clue of what to write it on. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them. And if your idea is chosen, you get to guest host that guide.

Arramon: Along with Me and my bizarre tamer here, as well as the anime guest.

Author: anyways, on with chapter 4!

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At the exact time we left off from the last chapter………

"What do you think you figured out," Spinnel asked. Eriol said, "I think I figured out why I always had those weird "memories" all the time."

Spinnel said, "Well, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me."

"Alright," Eriol said, "I'll tell you. You know what reincarnation is, right?"

Spinnel nodded. Eriol continued, "Well, today some kids were talking about reincarnation. One of them claimed to be the reincarnation of Napoleon."

"What does that have to do with your predicament," Spinnel asked. Eriol said, "I'm getting to that. Anyways, I asked this kid why he thought that. He said that he had memories. Weird memories that he couldn't have possibly had. He said that he read somewhere that weird memories is a sign of reincarnation, along with similar looks and personality."

Spinnel said, "So this means……?"

"I think I'm the reincarnation of Clow Reed," Eriol said. There was an uneasy silence for a while. Spinnel finally broke the silence and said, " Are you sure?"

Eriol shook his head and said, "I'm not completely sure, but it's a good guess. That would explain why Nakuru said those weird things to me. Though it doesn't explain how she knew it, or how she knew about you."

"This is very confusing," Spinnel said, "And I doubt that there is any way to confirm your beliefs."

"There must be a way," Eriol said as he walked over to the window. He sat down on the window sill and watched the sun set over the lake. He sighed and said, " I have got to find out."

Spinnel flew over to where Eriol was and landed on the window sill beside him. He said, "The answer may not come clearly to you. Why don't you try developing your powers some more. That might help solve the mystery."

Eriol nodded. He said, "that's a good idea," then started to practice his magic.

--------------------------------

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Later that night…………

Eriol was sitting on his bed, writing in a journal, while Spinnel was reading a book. After some time of silence, Eriol said, "Spinnel, how do you spell reincarnation?"

"I'm not sure," Spinnel said, "Look it up in the dictionary."

Eriol used his powers to bring the dictionary to him, then looked up reincarnation. Suddenly, a cool breeze swept through the room. As it reached him, Eriol felt drowsy. Spinnel looked at him and said, "Eriol, what's wrong?"

Eriol didn't answer. Instead, he passed out, leaving Spinnel to wonder what was going on.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eriol opened his eyes, wondering what had happened. He was very surprised to see that he had left his room, and was now in what looked like a room painted to look like space. He also noticed that he was still in his pajamas. Eriol said, "What's…….going on?"

A voice from behind him said, "Do not be frightened. This place will not harm you."

Eriol turned around to see who had spoken, and was surprised by who he saw. "No way," Eriol said, "You're Clow Reed!"

Clow nodded. He said, "That I am."

"But that's impossible," Eriol said, "you have been dead for almost a thousand years. How could you be here on Earth?"

"It's not impossible," Clow said, "Because we are not on Earth. This is where I rest now. I have brought you here, because I wish to speak with you."

You do," Eriol asked, "About what?"

"Many things," Clow said, "Including the Clow cards."

Eriol listened to Clow as he explained about the cards. "when I was much younger," Clow began, "just a few years older than you, I became aware of the growing threat. Though most sorcerers were good people, there were some who wanted to use magic for their own evil purposes. I was a very powerful sorcerer, seeing as how I had both eastern and western magic inside me, so I decided that I was going to do something about it. At first, I wasn't sure of what to do, then I got my idea. Shortly after, I began creating the clow cards. I am sure that, from my memories I have given to you, you know what those are already."

Eriol nodded. Clow continued, "At first, I just made the basic four: Earthy, Fiery, Windy, and Watery. Then I realized that the powers of earth couldn't be contained in just four cards. I gradually began to create more, but no others were as powerful as the elemental cards, except for the Dark and the Light. After I had created most of the cards, I found out that I couldn't keep the powers on my own. I then created two guardians: KeroBeros and Yue. When I was reaching the end of my life, I began to prepare the cards for a new master. You know those spikes of energy you have felt in the last few months?"

Eriol nodded. Clow said, "Those were the cards. They have been released, and are being recaptured by their future master. In about a year, they will all be captured."

"So KeroBeros and Yue are with this person who is recapturing the card," Eriol asked. Clow shook his head and said, "Only KeroBeros is. Yue is waiting. He is the final judge, who will determine if Sakura is a fitting master or not."

"Sakura," Eriol said in wonder, "that's the name of the future master."

Clow nodded. He said, "She will prove a fine master for the cards. But there is one problem."

"What is that," Eriol asked. Clow said, "right now, the cards draw their energy from my power. When Sakura becomes the mistress, the cards will need to draw energy from her, so she will have to transform them. Over a lifetime, Sakura would encounter all of the situations to transform the cards, but she doesn't have a lifetime to do that. After the wand changes, she will only have a short time to change the cards. I knew this, so I prepared something to aid her in the transforming of the cards. I created a staff, which turned into a key to keep itself hidden, and placed it in a place where only a certain person would find it."

"A key," Eriol said, then pulled out the strange key he had on a chain, " You mean this key?"

Clow nodded. "that is the key to the staff," Clow said, "When the right words are said, it will change into the staff."

"That's cool," Eriol said, "But why did you make it? who was it intended for?"

"I knew a person was needed to provide the situations to transform the cards," Clow said, "So I put some of myself, mainly some personality and intelligence, into a young boy. Thus, he became my reincarnation. Though he is not me, he does have my powers, and he does have some of my memories. This boy didn't know of his powers until he was about 10 years old, then weird things began to happen. Now, he is preparing himself for his purpose in life, weather he knows it or not. As for the second question, I believe you already know the answer."

__

"it can't be me," Eriol thought, thought he didn't really believe it, _" I'm just a normal boy. It has to be someone else……"_

"Denying the truth won't make it go away," Clow said, "You are what you are, and nobody can change that."

"I know," Eriol said, "But I just can't bring myself to believe it. I used to be a normal boy, and now I'm the reincarnation of one of the greatest sorcerers ever….."

"Change is inevitable," Clow said, "It may be tough, but even I can't stop it. But, I can make it somewhat easier for you."

Clow placed his hand on Eriol's forehead, and they both began to glow. After a while, it stopped. Clow said, "There. Your more adult self has been woken up, and now you know some more complex spells. Do you feel the difference?"

Eriol nodded. Clow said, "It is time for you to return to your home. Don't ever forget: I'm watching over you."

Eriol said, "I won't," And he fell back "Asleep". a short while later, he opened his eyes, and he was back in his room in his summer home. Spinnel was flying around his head, saying, "Eriol! Wake up!"

Eriol sat up and said, "Don't worry, Spinnel. I am unharmed."

Spinnel breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I was worried for a minute there. What happened?"

Eriol smiled and said, "I just had a chat with an important person."

Spinnel looked at Eriol for a moment, then said, "I can't quite put my paw on it, but you seem different somehow."

"I am somewhat different," Eriol said. Spinnel said, "You seem more adult somehow."

Eriol then explained what had happened. After he was done, Spinnel said, "So you were right. You are the reincarnation of Clow Reed."

Eriol nodded. Spinnel asked, "Did he say anything about Nakuru?"

"I didn't ask," Eriol said, "But I think we can find out."

Spinnel nodded. He said, "Want to go and try tom find her?"

"Just let me change really quick," Eriol said, "I hadn't counted on going outside again."

--------------------------------

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Sometime later, by the lake………

Eriol walked to the end of the dock and sat down. _"Nakuru always appears by the lake," _he thought, _"so the most plausible thing to do would be to wait here and see if she comes."_

Spinnel was hiding in a tree at the other end of the dock. Even though it was somewhat dark, he still couldn't risk being seen. Eriol glanced at his watch again. It was 8:45. _"I can wait 45 more minutes," _he thought, _"if she doesn't come by then, I'll have to try again tomorrow."_

"Well well," a voice from behind Eriol said, "Look who we have here."

__

"Oh gosh," Eriol thought, recognizing the voice, _"Not tonight. Any night but tonight."_

Eriol stood up, turned around, and said, "What do you want, Derek?"

Derek said, "I was just wondering what my personal punching bag was doing here."

"it's a free world," Eriol said, "and besides, I'm not your personal punching bag anymore."

"Well," Derek said, "Sounds like somebody got a little confidence. I guess I'll just have to put you back in your place."

Eriol tensed up a little. Though he could use magic, he couldn't fist fight someone and expect to win. He didn't really want to use his magic, either. Eriol knew that if he used magic, Derek would tell others, and his secret would be blown. Eriol didn't say anything. Derek said, "I think a little swim will cool off your hot head."

Derek punched Eriol very hard in the head, moving so fast that Eriol didn't have time to react. Eriol fell backwards, falling into the deep lake. As they were about to leave, One of Derek's friends said, "Should we wait and see if he can swim?"

Derek said, "Nah, I know that punk. He can swim. He won't die, but he will learn his lesson."

Derek and his friends ran off, not realizing that Derek had punched Eriol so hard that he had been knocked out. An unconscious Eriol drifted slowly to the bottom of the lake, his only hope of survival being that somebody came along quickly and saved him.

-----------------------------

Author: hehehehehehehe. I'm very mean to leave you on a cliffhanger like this, huh? 

Arramon: yes you are.

Author: will Eriol survive? Will he ever find out what the deal with Nakuru is? 

Arramon: anyone who has seen the show already knows the answer.

Author: so what. Oh, and if you have any suggestions about the guide thing, you can answer in a review or email me at PANDABEAR1328@aol.com

Arramon: So, I bid you adieu!

Author: Adieu means goodbye for a long time. I don't think we will be gone for that long.

Arramon: oops. Ok, the au revior!

Author: that's better. So, goodbye everyone!


	5. chapter 5

Author: I couldn't wait to write part five! But now, I seem to be having trouble writing….

Arramon: zzzzzzzzzzzz

Author: oh, that's why. My muse is asleep. *Gets microphone* WAKE UP!

Arramon: (O-o) I'm up, I'm up!

Author: that's better. Now, let's go on with the story!

Arramon: What about soccer practice?

Author: that's not for another hour, and whatever I don't finish now, I can finish tomorrow.

Arramon: -_-'

Author: enjoy chapter 5!

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Spinnel sat in the tree, wondering why it was taking Eriol so long to swim to the surface. "He's been down there a long time," Spinnel said, "What could he be doing?"

Spinnel then saw someone dive into the lake from the end of the dock. He said, "What was that?"

He sat there for a moment, waiting to see what had happened. Then, he flew to the edge of the dock to get a better look at what was going on.

------------------------

Eriol drifted deeper and deeper into the lake. All hope for his rescue seemed to be gone. Then, somebody grabbed him and began to drag him to the surface. Eriol was still unconscious, though, so he didn't know what was going on. Suddenly, he and his rescuer broke the surface of the water, and Eriol's rescuer dragged him to the dock. Spinnel took one look at the pair, and said, "What happened?!"

The rescuer said, "He was knocked out by those mean boys when he fell into the lake. Help me get him up on the dock."

Spinnel helped the person get Eriol onto the dock, then the person set to the task of getting Eriol to breathe again. Spinnel suddenly recognized the person and said, "Nakuru?!"

Nakuru nodded. She bent her head down by Eriol's, listened for a second, then said, "He's breathing. He'll be just fine, though he might wake up to a bit of a shock. I better get him to a warm house."

Nakuru picked Eriol up and carried him all the way to her cottage, with Spinnel following closely behind. 

-----------------------------

Some time later, Eriol woke up. He lay in the warm bed for a moment, trying to recall what had happened. _"That jerk," _Eriol thought, _"He could have killed me. Luckily I got out of the lake somehow. Hey, how did I get out of the lake?"_

A voice said, "Don't worry, you are safe here."

Eriol immediately sat up straight. Everything was blurry, so he reached out and grabbed his glasses. As he put them on, Nakuru came into focus. Eriol said, "Nakuru…… did you rescue me?"

Nakuru nodded. She said, "You wanted to talk to me?"

It took Eriol a moment to remember what he wanted to talk to her about. After he remembered, he said, "I found out about my connection to Clow Reed."

Nakuru nodded, as if to acknowledge the statement. Eriol said, "You have something to do with it, don't you?"

Nakuru smiled and nodded again. "You will have to figure out how on your own," Nakuru said. Eriol thought for a moment. Then, he managed to put all of the pieces together.

-------------------Flashback--------------------

The small animal smiled and said, "in my other form, I am known as Spinnel Sun. in this form, my name is Spinnel. I am your sun guardian."

Eriol said, "My sun what?"

"Your sun guardian," Spinnel said, "That just means that I am your guardian, and I get my power from the sun. you have another guardian, your moon guardian, but he or she isn't here right now."

---------------------------End Flashback-------------

-------------------Flashback #2--------------------

They all left, leaving Eriol lying in the dirt. After a few minutes, Eriol heard somebody walk up and say, "Oh my gosh! What happened to you?!"

He could feel somebody helping him up, but Eriol didn't want to open his eyes. The voice sounded like it was a girl's voice, and she sounded like she was about 17. The girl said, "Hold on, I think this might help."

Eriol felt something warm, almost like an aura, engulf him, and he suddenly felt a little better. He opened his eyes, and saw a girl with long hair that was brown, but had a reddish tint. She wore the high school uniform, too. Eriol said, "Thanks…….."

The girl smiled and said, "No problem. Just be more careful, ok?"

----------------------End Flashback #2-----------------

-------------------Flashback #3--------------------

Eriol quickly put the key away. _"who is this girl," _he thought, _"she looks so familiar."_

Then it hit him. He said, "you're the girl who helped me that one day, aren't you?"

The girl nodded. "Call me Nakuru. Nice to meet you, Clow."

Eriol said, "Clow? My name isn't Clow, it's Eriol."

Nakuru grinned mysteriously and said, "Are you sure about that?"

Eriol stared at her for a moment, then said, "What do you mean?"

"You're smart," Nakuru said, "Figure it out."

---------------------End flashback #3--------------

------------------Flashback #4 -----------------

Eriol headed off to the lake, Spinnel not far behind. As they approached the lake, Eriol saw someone standing out on the dock. When he got closer, he could see that it was Nakuru. Eriol ran down to where she was, then said, "Nakuru!"

Nakuru looked at him and smiled. Eriol said, " What did you mean when you were talking about Clow Reed?"

Nakuru said, "you are smart. You figure it out."

She then turned to Spinnel and said, "Long time, no see. I hope you have been well, Spinnel Sun."

Spinnel looked at her for a moment, dumbstruck by the fact that she knew what he was, before Nakuru said, "Well, I have to go now. When you figure out what you need to, we will meet again."

------------------------End Flashback #4--------------------

"I know who you are," Eriol said, "You are my moon guardian, aren't you?"

Nakuru nodded. She said, "You are right. In this form, I am called Nakuru Akizuki. In my other form, I am called Ruby Moon."

"So that's the big secret," Spinnel said, "Nice to see you again, Ruby Moon. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Nakuru smiled and said, "In this form, call me Nakuru. And yes Suppi, it has been a long time."

Spinnel frowned. Eriol smiled and said, "Suppi? That's a cute name."

Spinnel frowned even more and said, "I despise that name…………."

"Too bad," Nakuru said, "It's your nickname, and nicknames stick."

Spinnel frowned. Eriol said, " what time is it? My family is probably worried about me."

Nakuru looked at her watch and said, "It's 1 am, but don't worry. I put a sleeping spell on them. You can sneak in now, and they will never know that you were gone."

Eriol nodded, got up out of bed, and said, "Thank you, Nakuru."

Nakuru smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, master. It's what I'm here for. Now, you better get going."

Eriol left, with Spinnel in tow, and went back to his summer home. He quickly went upstairs and changed into pajamas. He climbed into bed and fell quickly asleep, the only sounds coming from Spinnel, who was still grumbling about being called Suppi.

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Two weeks later……

Eriol was packing up his stuff and getting ready to go back to England. "_What a fun vacation," _Eriol thought, _"I really cannot wait until next year."_

Spinnel landed on Eriol's shoulder. He said, "Are you ready to go home?"

"Almost," Eriol said, "I only have a few more things to pack."

Spinnel said, "Are you glad to be going home."

"Sure," Eriol said, "Home is a good place to be."

Eriol finished packing, then went to the window. Outside, Nakuru was tormenting his brother again. Eriol smiled and said, "It is nice that Nakuru will be joining our family. She can bring out the best in people."

"And the worst in others," Spinnel commented, "Remember what happened the day after you nearly drowned?"

"Of course," Eriol said, "That was way too funny to forget."

"Derek seemed pretty mad," Spinnel commented, "I wouldn't be surprised if he kept trying to beat you up."

__

"neither would I," Eriol thought, but he said, "I am not afraid of him anymore. He cannot hurt me again. Well, I guess he could, but I will be ready for him the next time he tries to do something."

__

"So much has changed in a few short months," Eriol thought, as he watched Nakuru chase his brother around the yard, _"I went from being a weak child to being the reincarnation of Clow Reed. And my journey isn't over yet, either. I still have to worry about Sakura and the cards."_

Nakuru managed to catch up with Eriol's brother, and she tackled him. Suzy was laughing pretty hard, and Spinnel had to try his hardest to keep from laughing. Eriol smiled and said, "Well, at least I am not alone anymore."

-----------------------------------------

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Present time……………

Everyone had kept quiet while Eriol had told his story. When he finished, Tomoyo said, "Wow, sounds like you had it pretty rough as a kid."

"I did," Eriol said, "But not to worry. Life is fine for me now."

Eriol got up and began walking inside. Sakura called after him, "Wait. Where are you going?"

Eriol stopped walking and said, "I think I'm going to retire for the night. It is pretty late. I will see you all in the morning."

Eriol went up to his room and sat down on his window ledge. He sighed and mumbled, "it's been a long journey."

__

"A very long journey," he thought, _"But I am glad it's all over now. Odd, but for some reason I felt like I hadn't finished my job when Sakura had finished transforming the cards. Maybe that's why I came back, even though it was just to visit. And now that I have told them my story, it feels like I can relax and enjoy peace for some time."_

"Eriol…" a voice called from the doorway. Eriol turned and saw Tomoyo standing there. She said, "Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?"

Eriol shook his head. Tomoyo went over to Eriol and sat next to him on the windowsill. Eriol wrapped his arms around her and looked out the window. The fireflies were zooming past the window. Tomoyo said, "Did all of that really happen to you?"

Eriol nodded. He said, "But I am glad that it did."

Tomoyo was confused, but Eriol smiled and said, "If it hadn't, I never would have came here."

Tomoyo laid her head down on Eriol's shoulder. She said, "then, I am glad that all that happened, too."

Eriol simply held her close and didn't say anything. But, he was thinking, _"could life get any better?"_

The End!

---------------------------------

Author: So, what did you think? Good? Bad?

Arramon: wow, that was one of your better works.

Author: -_-'''''

Arramon: I am your muse. I know everything that you write.

Author: ……ok………

Arramon: *shakes head*

Author: Anyways, this story is now done! Time for me to work on some of my other ficcies!

Arramon: *sighs* no rest for the best………..


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